Who Do You Think You Are?
A devotional by Angela Anderson
“When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’” –Judges 6:12 NIV
The story of Gideon in the Bible is so intriguing to me. There are many lessons that can be learned from reading about him in Judges 6-8, but the one lesson that resonates with me each time I read the passage is regarding identity.
In Judges 6, the story of Gideon does not begin on a good note. The Israelites were not obeying God and as a result, they were being terrorized by the Midianites. For instance, each time the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites would invade the land, ruin the crop, and rob the Israelites of their livestock. This went on for several years and the Israelites would hide in mountains and caves while crying out to God for mercy.
One day as Gideon was thrashing wheat in a winepress, trying to hide from the Midianites, the Lord came to Gideon and told him that Gideon was going to save the Israelites from the Midianites. God called Gideon a “mighty warrior.” (Judges 6:12). Instead of accepting this God-appointed title, Gideon began to list his deficiencies. He attempted to offer excuses as to why he could never accomplish what God called him to do, and a litany of reasons why he could never measure up to what God called him to be (Judges 6:15).
How many of us can relate to this instance? We are going about our daily lives, hiding behind our goals and task lists that keep us busy, while God is calling us to something greater; something of more importance that will impact the masses. Instead of accepting the call from God, we shrink back into our comfort zone, and we start to rehearse in our minds all our shortcomings and weaknesses. We convince ourselves that we are not good enough. Therefore, we can never accomplish what God is calling us to do.
God sees us for who we are, even when we cannot see it ourselves. He created each of us for a purpose and He wants us to identify with our God-given identity. There is no way to achieve this calling in our own strength. We must rely on God for instruction and direction. We must also receive His power that He freely gives so that we will begin to see who God sees in us, and then operate in our purpose.
Let’s Pray: Father God, please open my eyes to see what You see when you look at me. Show me Your purpose for my life and help me to receive my calling by faith. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
Song of Reflection #1: “Who Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies]” by Chris Tomlin. Listen to it here.
Song of Reflection #2: “Born with a Purpose” by Angela Bryant-Brown. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Angela Anderson was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in NJ. She found her love for writing when she was in elementary school. She continued writing through high school, college, and into adulthood.
In 2021, Angela started writing articles for an online magazine called Christian Women Living, where she focuses on writing messages for mothers and sharing advice on parenting. In addition to this, Angela wrote a devotional that is featured in a book published by Proverbs 31 Ministries. The book title is Hope When Your Heart is Heavy.
Angela has a passion for inspiring and impacting others through her writing as well as speaking. She is the co-founder of Anchor Moms, a ministry to cure loneliness in Motherhood. Currently, this ministry meets via a group on Facebook.
Angela has been married to the love of her life, Duane Anderson, for 17 years. Together, they have two sons: Thomas (age 9) and Ryan (age 4). Angela’s favorite pastime is journaling, and she also enjoys spending quality time with her family. Her personal mission is to empower others to achieve their goals and dreams.
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Connect with Angela:
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/angela.thomasanderson
Facebook fan page for her devotional book, Just When I Thought I Knew God:
https://www.facebook.com/jwitikg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelanderson1104/
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